Blackmail is a Dangerous Game
by AusllyBeliever
Summary: Kate Bellegrini, Casper High newcomer and cheerleader, is caught in the middle. The popular crew is using Kate for their own fun and games. Kate's parents expect her to be just like her older sister, Audrey. And on top of that, she's got a relationship on the line. Will Kate ever get a break?
1. Chapter 1

**Kate's P.O.V.**

We're three fourths of the way through the school year at Casper High. My sophomore year has gone pretty well for a newcomer.

When the time came at the beginning of the year, I immediately tried out for cheerleading. I had always been in gymnastics since I was little and figured I'd give cheerleading a try. Plus, my parents always envisioned me following after my older sister. That day at try-outs, I was told that I made the squad. I guess you could say I made it into the popular group.

Being the newcomer was definitely new to me. It was the first time I had ever moved out of the school district I had begun school in. This was all new territory. I didn't realize how shy I was until I came here. Basically, the only friends I have are the populars just because I haven't attempted befriending anyone else.

There is one thing about Casper High, though, that my other school didn't have. I bet you're thinking I'm going to say cute guys, but no. Well, yes, but that's not what I was talking about. It seems that everywhere you look, there's always something you weren't expecting or an adventure. Not one day is ever the same. Some days may have their extremes and others, their lows. You never know what's coming. You just have to take what comes and keep on going.

Anyway, lunch came around and I grabbed my food before sitting down with the rest of the group. They were talking about something when I got situated and two words were caught in my mind: 'three losers'. Those 'three losers' are Sam Manson, Danny Fenton, and Tucker Foley. They're an odd group of friends, but seem really close to each other. Really, they don't seem much like losers. Heck, I don't even know them, so who am I to judge?

"Kate? Yoohoo?" Paulina snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry."

"Now that you're here, I can tell you about what we have planned."

"And what is it that you have planned?" I asked, a little uninterested.

"Humiliating Fenturd," Dash responded, smiling.

"You're going to ask him out on a date sometime this week and just stick with him for awhile. Then, you dump him in front of the whole school!" Nearly spitting out the water in my mouth, I suddenly became interested in the subject. Paulina sounded so cheerful when she was saying that, is she considering Danny's feelings at all? Oh, who am I kidding? I should know she isn't. Although, this is a new low for her.

"Don't you think that's a bit harsh?"

"Nope! And you better go through with it or I can get you kicked off the squad." I can't believe she's resulting to blackmail to get what she wants! Wait, yes I can. That's besides the point. I don't wanna leave the squad, I finally feel like I can live up to my parents' expectations of me compared to my sister... and if I was dropped off the squad, I'm sure my mom would have my head.

"Fine," I grumbled.

See, I don't have a problem going out with Danny- I actually have a bit of a crush on him- it's just the part about dumping him in public that I don't like. I'm not the mean type of person that enjoys watching everyone else suffer.

"So when are you going to ask him?" Star leaned over and inquired.

"I don't know." I shrugged. Honestly, I have no clue what to even say to him. When I get home, I'll probably go nuts until I do know what I'm gonna say.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. It's a good thing I had a big breakfast, because I didn't even get a third of my food eaten. How could I eat when I kept having questions thrown at me?

Exiting the cafeteria, I made my way to the end of the hall before turning left and walking about nine more feet to my art class. This was the class I loved the most. I was free to do what I do most often: doodle, sketch, paint, and more.

Our assignment for the week is to take a snapshot of an event occurring around you and, based on the photo, draw or paint the scene.

I actually got a good picture of Danny Phantom, Amity Park's protector from ghost attacks, fighting off an octopus-like ghost. I decided to paint it, figuring it would be easier to get the color shades right with paint. But for today, making the outlines in pencil was my plan.

Using my time wisely, I got a majority of the more difficult outlining finished. Since it was only Tuesday, I thought I'd done pretty good so far. There's still plenty of time to finish the assignment.

The rest of the day went by slowly. Partially, I think it was slow due to the fact I was still thinking about what I'm going to say to Danny. I know I can't tell him about Paulina blackmailing me. She'd eventually find out and get me kicked off the squad.

If only I was back at my old school. All of my friends that I had made back in kindergarten were there and I was comfortable in that kind of environment. I wasn't shy then. It also doesn't help that I have a crush on Danny. I remember the day my crush on him first started to blossom like it was just an hour ago.

**~FLASHBACK~**

The first day of school... has officially become a nightmare. A new school, new people, it's all _new_.

I walked up the few steps to the front doors and stopped. Taking a deep breath, I entered Casper High. I've never been so nervous in my entire life. I feel as if I'm going to pass out.

No one's noticed me since I came through the doors, thankfully. All I did was keep looking and walking forward through the hall with what little confidence I had left in me. Every so often, I would give a small smile to someone, only for it to fade seconds later.

Now in front of my assigned locker, I twisted the lock a few times in order to open it. Digging through my red backpack, I pulled out some magnetic picture frames and pictures of my friends and I before I moved. I placed them in my locker and smiled yearningly.

Closing my locker, I took yet another deep sigh, then turned around and tried to find my first class. While I was looking back and forth between both sides of the hallway, reading the room numbers, I saw groups of friends talking with each other before class began. Some groups were small, others quite large.

One of the boys with pitch black hair from a group of three saw me looking around and softly smiled at me while still listening to his friends. I shot him a friendly smile before looking away.

**~END OF FLASHBACK~**

That memory has stayed with me ever since. My crush on Danny has only grown little by little and he's still just as cute as he was earlier in the school year.

Arriving home, I shouted out that I was home and hustled up the wooden stairs to my bedroom. I threw my backpack down on the floor, against the foot of my bed and plopped into the chair at my desk. Well, I better get to thinking.

Three hours later, the paper I was trying to fill up with ideas only had one sentence on it. _Kill me_.

**How was it? Don't be afraid to comment!**

**If any of you are Rushers, did you catch onto the Halfway There reference in the fourth paragraph?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Kate's P.O.V.**

It's now Thursday. The past two days, I've come up with hardly anything to say. As each hour passes, I become more and more nervous. Tomorrow is the last day I have to ask Danny out. I shouldn't be able to forget; Paulina reminds me constantly.

School today was alright. I'm pretty much finished with my project for art class. There's only a few things left to paint.

I heard a knock on my bedroom door and called out to whoever it was on the other side to come in. The door opened to reveal my sister, Audrey. She walked further into my room after shutting the door behind her.

"Hey," she said softly, pulling up my desk chair to the side of my bed. I was laying down and looking at the ceiling when I replied back in the same tone.

"What's up? You hardly talk to me anymore. What's going on?" I could feel her staring at me.

I sighed while my head rolled to the left so I was able to look at her face. "Ever since I got into high school, Mom and Dad expect me to be just like you. Get the same grades, cheerlead, and be involved in all this other stuff. Every night before a test, I end up staying up an hour past curfew to study because I don't wanna let them down. Cheerleading isn't fun anymore, either, like it was when I first started. They always make a big deal about it and everything else. And I'm sick of it! I work my butt off just to please them, but I don't enjoy any of it." There was a long pause between us. It was amazing how much better I felt after letting all of that out. However, I could still feel Audrey's intense stare.

"What else is bothering you?" I turned my head away, looking down at my floral comforter, and didn't respond. "You can talk to me."

"It's nothing."

"No, it's not-"

"I said it's nothing!" I snapped, whipping my head towards her. "Could you just leave? Please? I have homework to do," I continued in a softer voice.

Audrey nodded and walked over to my door. She glanced back at me once, then shut the door carefully and quietly. I was left in the silence that filled my room... for now.

Swinging my legs over the side of my bed, I stood up. My right hand drug its way through my thick, golden brown hair. On the wall in front of me, a picture of my family and I on summer vacation was framed. Audrey was fourteen and I was eleven. Those were the days. If only our once-totally-happy family could have stayed that way.

Coming out of my thoughts, I returned my desk chair back to its original spot and flopped onto it. With the chair spinning, enough to make me dizzy, I just re-entered my thoughts.

This is it. I'm super nervous, but I can't back out. I've pretty much decided to ask Danny at lunch, which is less than a class period away. You could probably imagine how much I wasn't paying attention during my classes. I was just surprised at how none of my teachers seemed to notice.

The bell rang, making my stomach churn with nerves. I felt lightheaded and had a feeling that I could possibly pass out; just like my first day attending Casper High. But in a way, I guess this is a good thing. The plan, that is. With my newfound shyness, I probably wouldn't even be thinking of walking up to my crush and talking to him. Maybe this could help me get over that.

Subconsciously, my feet brought me to the cafeteria. My heart was pounding in my head the whole time I was eating. I couldn't focus on anything that anyone around me was saying. That would've just made my nerves worse because all they were chatting about was the plan.

Paulina mentioned my name, making me pay attention to what was happening. "Go get him, Kate." She then pulled me up from my seat and pushed me forward. I looked back at them all. They all gave me a gesture saying 'Go!'

Taking a deep breath, I continued onward. When I stopped at their table, the three of them looked up. "Hey, Danny, Tucker... Sam."

"Hi." Tucker wiggled his eyebrows.

"_Kate_," Sam spat, folding her arms. The minute I was deemed popular, I knew she didn't like me. I still try to be nice to her, though.

"H-hey. What's up?" Danny asked, nervously chuckling. Oh my gosh, so cute.

"Would you like to go out sometime?" I started fumbling with my fingers behind my back. Just as he was about to answer, a ghost wearing a metal suit came out of nowhere.

"I'll get back to you, but for right now, get out of here!" I nodded quickly before bolting out of the cafeteria.

**Danny's P.O.V.**

"Going ghost!" The ring of light that appeared around my waist became two, then they went their opposite ways. Seeing that I was now in ghost form, I exited the closet I was in and came face to face with Skulker, back in the cafeteria.

"Dude, seriously?! A girl is finally into me and you show up!" I shot a few ghost rays.

"Do you think I care, whelp?" He fired a weapon from his suit. "I must have your pelt on the foot of my bed!"

I barely dodged the weapon. "That's still gross."

We kept battling for about seven minutes before I trapped him in the Fenton thermos. Before I transformed back into my human self, I made sure no one was around. After that was taken care of, I made my way into the hall to try and find Kate.


	3. Chapter 3

**Kate's P.O.V.**

Somehow, with all of the scrambling going on within the school, Paulina managed to find me.

"So did you do it?"

"Yes," I replied, annoyed. "But I didn't get an answer seeing as how a ghost interrupted."

"Then go find him!" For the second time today, she shoved me. With my back turned, I rolled my eyes.

Weaving in and out of the crowd, I searched for a mop of pitch black hair. Once I finished searching the hallway I was in, I started in another. That one came up empty too. As I turned to enter yet another hallway, I bumped into someone and stumbled back a few steps.

"Sorry," we both said at the same time. It was Danny. Well... I found him!

"Kate, I was looking for you. Before the ghost came in, I was gonna say sure." I smiled, excited that I'm actually going to go out with my crush. "How's tomorrow at 12:30?"

"Perfect."

"Alright, I'll come by your house and then we can head out."

I nodded and replied, "See you then." Walking away to go to my next class, I squealed a bit inside my head. I may not like this plan, but I think it's boosting my confidence.

**Danny's P.O.V.**

After Kate turned a corner, I jumped into the air in victory. Of course, that's when Sam and Tucker walked into the hallway.

"What are you so happy about?" Sam questioned.

Smiling, I answered, "I just scored a date with Kate."

"Dude, congrats!" Tucker exclaimed.

Sam's jaw dropped. "What?! Danny, you can't be serious! It's gotta be some sort of trap."

I stopped my happy-go-lucky fest and rolled my eyes. "Stop being so paranoid."

"But she's one of _them_!" Sam retaliated, using her hands for effect.

Tucker spoke up. "I think you're just jealous." A smug smirk appeared on his face.

"Me? Jealous of her?" Sam scoffed. "No way."

Ignoring the jealousy comments, I continued to speak. "Relax, Sam. If it makes you feel better, I'll be careful." She mumbled something under her breath; although, I couldn't hear what she said.

All three of us returned to silence and walked to our next class.

By the time the end of the school day approached, I was tired from walking around while luging my probably-fifteen-pound backpack all day. Sam was giving me a partial cold shoulder. I don't get why everything that has any connection to someone popular is a trap to her. Some people can just be nice-despite their social status-with no strings attached.

Today, I was walking home by myself. Tucker was going to work on something related to technology, go figure, and I haven't seen Sam since class. She just stormed out of the room as soon as the bell rang.

When I got home, I expected my sister, Jazz, to come down the steps. However, she was gone back to college. She came home over spring break and I had gotten used to her being back here. Now I have to get used to her not being here again.

My parents were loud enough to know that they were downstairs. They most likely won't be back upstairs until it's time for dinner, so I snuck up to my room and got started on my homework.

**Kate's P.O.V.**

The last period was brutal for me. I was having a hard time understanding the lesson and Paulina was not making it any better. About ten minutes into the class, she had passed me a note with a single worded question on it.

_Well?_

I wrote back to her, making sure the teacher didn't see us pass the piece of paper back and forth.

_Well what?_

_What was his answer?!_

Rolling my eyes, I wrote back in distaste. Why must the only thing she talks to me about anymore be about this stupid plan?

_He said yes._

_Sweet! When are you going on your first date?_

Just as I was millimeters away from putting pencil to paper, the bell rang and I escaped Paulina as fast as I could. I managed to get to my locker and out of the school. This is one of the rare times I will ever be able to escape her.

Back at my house, my parents and sister said hello to me. I gave them a quick 'hi' and ran up to my room. The door shut behind me, I threw my backpack onto my bed, and I slid down the door, sighing. This whole thing finally sunk in.

I have a date with my crush, Danny Fenton, tomorrow… and it's all because I'm being blackmailed.


End file.
